1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an airbag jacket for a rider of a saddle-type vehicle such as a motorcycle, three-wheeler or all-terrain vehicle (ATV). More particularly, the present invention relates to an airbag jacket, fitted with a rider jacket worn by the vehicle rider, and having a plurality of continuously formed body covering portions formed by joining a plurality of substantially flat members.
2. Description of the Background Art
There are known airbag systems having an airbag body and an inflator fitted with clothing (e.g., a jacket) worn by a rider of a vehicle, e.g., a motorcycle. In such airbag systems, the airbag body is inflated, and deployed by gas from the inflator, to absorb an impact on the rider.
The examples of known airbag systems include those having an airbag body shaped like a slender tube (e.g., slim, lean tube) with turned-back portions, and in which a gas passage is formed in the airbag body (see the Japanese Patent Document: JP-A No. 2004-162224), and those having plural airbag bodies to cover various parts of the rider's body, the plural airbag bodies are held in a folded state (see the Japanese Patent Documents: JP-A No. 2003-312569 and JP-A No. H09-66789).
In the existing airbag systems, the airbag is either configured such that the airbag body is shaped like a tube having turned-back portions, or each includes of plural bag portions combined together. In these airbag systems, the gas released from an inflator is required to flow through one or more of complicated (e.g., narrower) passages. In such configurations, installing one or more of hoses in the airbag body to secure one or more of gas passages increases the number of components required.
Moreover, in the existing airbag bodies including, for example, turned-back portions have complicated three-dimensional shapes. Producing such airbag bodies, therefore, involves three-dimensional sewing which complicate sewing and bonding processes.
The present invention has been made to overcome such drawbacks. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag jacket which can be quickly filled with gas and which can be produced through easy to perform two-dimensional sewing and bonding processes.